Cold sores increase risk of dementia, research suggests -- ScienceDaily

Hugo Lövheim and Fredrik Elgh, professor at the Department of Virology,
have now confirmed this link in two large epidemiological studies. In
one study, which is based on the Betula project, a study on aging,
memory and dementia, the researchers show that a reactivated herpes
infection doubled the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. This study
had 3,432 participants who were followed for 11.3 years on average. In
another study, samples donated to the Medical Biobank at Umeå University
from 360 people with Alzheimer's disease were examined and as many
matched people who had not developed dementia. The samples were taken on
average 9.6 years before diagnosis. This study showed an approximately
doubled risk of developing Alzheimer's disease if the person was a
carrier of the herpes virus.

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